Chapter 15: Hanging Out

The next day was a very boring Saturday morning. Chopper and Zeb weren't being very good company. Ezra wished nothing more than that Cosette could be with him; he was sure the kitten could keep him company. Suddenly his phone buzzed with a text message.

Checking his phone he saw that it was from Zare, 'Hey dude, some friends and I are going bowling later, do you want to come with.'

Ezra couldn't believe it, Zare actually wanted to hang out with him?

'Let me see if Kanan is cool with it,' Ezra replied. He exited the message and pulled up a conversation with Kanan.

'Hey is it cool if I hang out with Zare later today?'

'Cool just let me know' Zare replied in his conversation.

'Just stay safe and out of trouble. I know you can handle yourself' Kanan replied.

'Thanks I will,' Ezra replied to Kanan. He exited out of the conversation and opened Zare's, 'He's cool with it.'

'Sweet, you know where the bowling alley is? We're meeting there at 11.' Zare texted.

'Yeah, see you there.' Ezra replied.

Ezra smiled and checked the time. It was 9:45 now. He knew it would take him about twenty minutes to walk to the bowling alley, so he would leave in about an hour. He started to think about what could happen. He was a little nervous about meeting Zare's friends. First off: how many would there be, then what would they be like, lastly, would they like him?

He decided that it would be best to not sike himself out.

After a while Ezra checked his phone to see the time; seeing that it was 10:30 he figured he might as well start heading over to the alley.

"Hey kid where you going?" Zeb asked.

"To the bowling alley." Ezra answered. "My um, friend asked me if I wanted to come."

"Stay out of trouble." Zeb warned.

"I will," Ezra reassured as he walked out the door.

Walking down the street towards the bowling alley he couldn't help but remember. Not so long ago he walked these streets, only thinking about how to survive the night; now he never had to worry about that again, because Kanan would always take care of that. Kanan wouldn't let him go hungry, he wouldn't let him freeze in the cold, he wouldn't let him sleep out in the rain, he would keep him safe. He smiled at the thought.

Finally he reached the bowling alley. He stepped inside and waited in the lobby. Ezra saw two teens sitting in some beanbags a bit closer to the counter. He wondered if they were Zare's friends. He got his answer a few minutes later when Zare walked in.

"Zare," one of them called.

Zare walked by Ezra on his way over to his friends. "Glad you can come Ezra, come on."

Ezra followed him over to his friends. "Guys, this is Ezra. I'm tutoring him right now. He'll be coming to school in January." Zare introduced.

The first teen stuck his hand out. He seemed to be either Latino, or of Latino decent, with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore jeans and a blue t-shirt. "Hey, I'm Jai Kell," Ezra shook the hand.

"Hey," Ezra returned.

The other confused Ezra a bit more. Along with short blond hair and hazel eyes, they were dressed fairly masculine, but he could see the very slightest of bulge on their chest, and their face had slightly more feminine features.

"I'm Tony." they introduced. It was there in the voice too.

He was nervous to ask, but he had to make sure he didn't offend them accidently. He just hoped his question wouldn't offend them.

"I'm sorry, I really can't tell, are you a boy or girl?" Ezra awkwardly asked.

"It's fine," Tony reassured. "I usually have to tell people when I first meet them. I'm openly trans; I identify as male."

"Oh, okay." Ezra replied. He did meet a few teens on the streets who were kicked out of their homes for being trans. Most of them managed to get a friend to help them out until they could live on their own.

"Well, let's get our shoes and a lane." Zare spoke.

"Wait, I thought Rae was coming?" Jai asked.

"Nah, she had plans with Lilly," Zare replied.

Ezra briefly wondered if this was the same Rae from the Asteroid Belt. It could be, or it could be that they knew a completely different Rae. Heck they could be even shortening a different name.

"Well, let's get started." Tony said. They all went up to the counter and ordered a few rounds on a lane and rented their shoes. There was an only a small issue when Tony order his shoes.

"Size 6 ½ please." Tony requested.

The renter hander him a pair of shoes that looked to be too small.

"Men's please." Tony corrected.

"Oh, sorry." the renter apologized, and switched the shoes.

"Better than sometimes," he said on the way over to the lane. "Sometimes they refuse to switch the shoes or whatever. Then I normally have to ask for the manager. Sometimes even the manager refuses."

"That sucks dude." Ezra replied.

"I've gotten use to it." Tony brushed off. "I've been dealing with it since I was 10, that's when I came out."

"So did you just move here?" Jai asked as the four of them picked out their balls. "Is that why you haven't been attending school yet?"

"No," Ezra answered. "I've lived here my whole life. I wasn't really in a situation that I could attend school for the past eight years."

"Mind if I ask?" Tony asked as he started set up the lane.

"I was living on the streets after my parents were killed by gang." Ezra explained while looking down. He figured they would have to know eventually, Zare already knew, he just didn't like talking about it.

There was a punctured silence for a moment.

"Man, that sucks." Jai muttered.

"Yeah," Ezra replied, "but now I'm living with my newly appointed foster father. He's great."

"Well, it's good you have someone who cares about you now." Tony said.

"Yeah," Ezra muttered.

"Alright, all set up." Tony said. "Zare you're up first."

Halfway through the game, Ezra was kicking everyone's butts.

"Wow, Ezra you are great at this." Tony said.

"Thanks." Ezra replied.

"Man, I can't seem to pick up my spares." Jai complained as his ball went right in between the 7-10 split. He sighed in defeat. "I'm getting something from the concessions bar. Want anything babe?"

Ezra was so startled at Jai calling someone 'babe' that he nearly stepped over the foul line when he went to take his turn. Who the heck did he just call babe?

"Nachos would be great." Tony replied.

"Gotcha." Jai smiled. "You owe me one."

"I don't have to owe you anything Hun." Tony laughed.

"Right you are." Jai smirked and headed off to the concessions.

Ezra raised an eyebrow.

"Got a problem with two boys in love?" Tony asked, noticing Ezra's look.

"No, not at all." Ezra replied, "Just surprised me." He turned back to the lane and rolled the ball, nailing his second strike in a row.

"Nice," Zare commented.

"Thanks." Ezra responded.

Zare went up to take his turn, followed by Tony. At this point Jai had returned with his and Tony's snacks.

"Your snack my liege," Jai said with a mock bow.

"Oh hardy har har, you offered you dork." Tony replied, taking the nachos.

"I know." Jai returned, giving him a small peck on the cheek.

"Hey love bird, it's your turn," Zare joking commented.

"Is it now?" Jai asked, setting down his food and took his turn.

Ezra wondered about the relationship. Was Jai gay or straight? Tony identified as male, so it would be gay, but biologically, Tony would be a girl right? So it would be straight?

"Um, stupid question, that may be slightly inappropriate." Ezra said.

"Shoot," Zare asked.

"Jai, are you gay or straight." Ezra asked. "With this relationship and all,"

Jai cut him off, "Neither. I'm pan."

"I thought that was a cooking thing." Ezra mumbled.

"It's short of pansexual," Jai laughed, waiting for his ball to come back. "It means I find every gender appealing. Doesn't matter to me whether, guy girl, trans, non-binary, demi, whatever, I'm down. That is if you're my type, I still have standards."

"I'm his standard," Tony smirked.

"Yes, lucky you." Jai replied, taking his ball and once again messing up the spare. "Damn it all."

"So, wait," Ezra said getting up. "There's also more than just boy, girl, and trans?"

"Yeah," Tony responded with a shrug. "Non-binary is sort of an umbrella term, that applies to people who don't feel they fall in category of either male or female. Sometimes they just say they're neither and prefer to use non-gender specific pronouns."

"Really?" Ezra asked, picking his ball up. He sure was learning a lot.

"Yeah, this person in the grade above us, Kaylynn, goes by 'they' and 'them.' There is also Riley, who swaps pronouns regularly, being gender-fluid. Sometimes she is a girl and sometimes he is a boy. If we aren't sure what she is that day, we normally girl with 'she' cause she is female most days." Tony explained.

"I sure am learning a lot." Ezra responded.

"It's important to know these sort of things." Tony replied.

"Well, I'm open to learn about them and accept them." Ezra said, nailing the last strike needed to complete is turkey.

"Great to hear." Tony smiled. "How about you give me your number and I can answer any question you have about this sort of things."

"Sure." Ezra replied sitting down next to him.

He handed him his phone and Tony typed in his number under a new contact. "I'll also give you Jai's in case you can't reach me."

"Cool thanks." Ezra responded. "I'm really glad you guys invited me to hang out."

"It was no problem." Jai said. "We enjoyed meeting you."

"Yeah, you seem to be a pretty cool dude." Tony said. Jai gave a slightly jealous look. "Relax, it's not like I'm going to leave you for him. I highly doubt I'm his type."

"I do try to make it my goal in life to not cause any break-ups." Ezra joked.

"Good," Tony smirked, "Or I would have to shank you."

"Yeah, I really would prefer to keep a knife out of my neck." Ezra muttered.

"He's joking, he doesn't even have a pocket knife." Jai reassured.

"You don't know everything about me." Tony smirked, leaning into Jai's chest.

"I know a lot more than you think." Jai teased, giving him a quick kiss on his nose.

Ezra smiled at two things: at the happy couple, and the fact that he kicked both their asses in bowling.